Downey Sets The Wayback Machine

Entertainment Weekly claims the Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes star will lend his voice to DreamWorks Animation's CG-animated, 3D feature film version of Mr. Peabody and Sherman, which began as a segment on Jay Ward's animated series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Downey will voice the genius dog Mr. Peabody; no word yet on who will voice his pet boy, Sherman. Together, Peabody and Sherman used their time machine to witness and more often than not alter historical events. Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) will direct from a script by Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin, which is said to focus on the canine-boy duo's origins.

"Mr. Peabody is this genetic anomaly," Minkoff told EW. "He does have brothers and sisters, all of them non-speaking, no super-smart dogs. He's an outcast, but has overcome it by being so great at so many things."

Downey was previously set to play a genius in the animated Megamind, before Will Ferrell took over the role.